Many vehicles now include onboard telematics capabilities, allowing the vehicle to remotely communicate with external communication devices, even when the vehicle is parked and an owner is away from the vehicle. In current models, remote services accessed through, for example, a user mobile device, cause a vehicle telematics control unit (TCU) to wake, a process caused through a wake-up short message service (SMS). The TCU can then establish a packet connection to a backend server, which allows the TCU to retrieve the command (e.g., unlock). The retrieved command can then be executed at the vehicle to perform the requested action. Further, the TCU is often mounted proximate to a roof antenna for convenience and to save on component elements such as coaxial or other cabling.
When a vehicle is parked in summer sun, for example, and the exterior ambient temperature is high, the vehicle ambient temperature can be even higher through sun-absorption. This process can cause TCU temperatures above 85 degrees Celsius, which can exceed a maximum operational temperature for the TCU. Operating the TCU under these conditions runs the risk of permanently damaging the TCU, and incurring an expensive repair cost for a vehicle owner.